Saturday, August 23, 2008 - 2:37 AM

Title favourite the United States has beaten defending champion Argentina 101-81 in a bruising game to reach the Olympic men's basketball final.

The Americans will take on Spain in Sunday's gold medal showdown, a team they blew out in the group stages of the Beijing Games.

Spain defeated Lithuania 91-86 in the other semi-final.

Fired up by an eyeball-to-eyeball clash with Argentina's Fabricio Oberto, Carmelo Anthony led the US victory drive with 21 points.

Luis Scola carried the fight for Argentina with 26.

Argentina lost Manu Ginobili, the tournament's leading scorer, in the first quarter after an apparent leg injury, making it virtually impossible to match the superior firepower of the Americans.

The United States has won 12 Olympic men's basketball titles but its dominance has waned in recent years, with bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Games and the 2006 world championships.